| Trees should be pruned before they break their | | | | on its upper surface and breaks before the saw |
| winter dormancy. For those whose trees have | | | | cuts all the way through, the limb falls and pulls |
| been damaged by storms, doing the job correctly | | | | downward on the remaining bark, tearing into the |
| can help ensure the survival of landscape trees. | | | | limb of trunk below. |
| For best results, pruning should be done a little at | | | | To avoid this, make three cuts, the first being a |
| a time throughout the life of the tree. By doing | | | | few inches into the damaged branch's bottom |
| this you can create desirable shapes and maintain | | | | surface a foot or two from its junction with the |
| strong trunks and branches to prolong the life of | | | | main branch. This stops the bark from tearing. |
| the tree. Drastic pruning can be detrimental. Never | | | | The second cut should be made a few inches |
| remove more than one-third of the branches at | | | | above the first one, severing most of the limb |
| one time. Remove dead or broken branches first. | | | | and thereby taking its weight off the remaining |
| This must be done carefully to avoid causing | | | | stump. Just above the raised ridge of bark known |
| more injury. | | | | as the collar, make the final cut. This cut should |
| Torn bark is the most common kind of damage | | | | leave the bark collar intact. The collar will |
| that occurs during pruning. When a branch is cut | | | | eventually produce bark to cover the wound. |